McClain: Pivotal offseason for Texans' Brian Gaine, Bill O'Brien

Texans general manager Brian Gaine, left, and coach Bill O'Brien will go into their first offseason together armed with a full complement of draft picks.

Photo: Brett Coomer, Staff photographer / Houston Chronicle

Brian Gaine is preparing for his sixth NFL draft and free-agency period with the Texans, his second as the general manager who heads the personnel side of the organization.

Gaine works closely with coach Bill O'Brien on decisions that affect the roster. Their scouting and coaching staffs are deeply involved in player evaluations to help Gaine and O'Brien make the correct decisions when it comes to improving the roster.

"Brian really takes over relative to the draft and free agency, and we work very well together," O'Brien said. "We feel like we're building something."

The Texans have entered an offseason that's vital to the progress the organization hopes to make in O'Brien's sixth season as the coach.

After winning the AFC South with an 11-5 record, the 21-7 playoff loss to Indianapolis at NRG Stadium magnified the Texans' issues on both sides of the ball — problems that must be solved in 2019 when they play a more difficult schedule and hope to be a Super Bowl contender.

"We're excited about the offseason," Gaine said. "I've got a lot of confidence in my (scouting) staff. We've already put a lot of time and effort into the evaluation process. Everybody's working hard with the same goal. We know how important this offseason is."

The Texans' primary needs are offensive tackles and cornerbacks. In the first three rounds, the Texans have four premium draft choices — one pick in the first (23), two in the second (55 and 55) and one in the third (87).

They also have picks in the fifth, sixth and seventh rounds, but where they fall in those rounds won't be determined until the NFL announces compensatory picks in March. They don't have a fourth-round selection. It was traded to Denver for receiver Demaryius Thomas.

Gaine and O'Brien went into last year's draft with one hand tied behind their backs. They didn't have picks in the first two rounds because of trades with Cleveland involving quarterbacks Deshaun Watson and Brock Osweiler.

Their first pick — safety Justin Reid in the third round — played like a first-rounder for much of his rookie season.

In the April 25-27 draft, the Texans should be able to take care of some needs in the first two rounds.

"I give Brian a lot of credit for last year," O'Brien said about their draft. "I know this is a very strong rookie class we have, and we didn't start picking until the second day. A lot of those guys played a lot of snaps and got a lot of good experience."

Looking at having three picks in the first two rounds, O'Brien said, "I think having some early round picks, as long as we work hard at it, we all see it through the same set of eyes and we pick (players) that are talented (and) love football (and are) great representatives of the organization, yeah, it's definitely good to have early picks."

Gaine's philosophy is not to reach to fill need positions.

"You have to let the draft come to you," he said.

What Gaine and O'Brien do in free agency will impact what they do in the draft. Traditionally, there are more quality cornerbacks available in the draft than offensive tackles.

Because there's such a shortage of productive offensive tackles available in free agency, general managers know there's a "buyer beware" sign on their door and have to guard against overpaying.

"We, obviously, have to fix things," O'Brien said. "It all starts with the coaching. What can we do better from a schematic standpoint? What can we do better to get these guys — whoever the players are — to execute better? That's coaching. You're a teacher. You're trying to inspire the players to execute the game plan at the best of their ability the way you see it.

"Brian and I always talk about the roster. I'm not going to get into all the details of that, but, clearly, there's some things we need to do. That's a long process."

"We've mapped out a calendar of what we're going to be doing daily for the next few months to try to get this organization where we need to be," he said. "We feel like we're moving in the right direction, and we've got to work hard this offseason to make sure that's the case."

The best thing about the Texans' offseason is Gaine and O'Brien know they don't need a franchise quarterback. Deshaun Watson has secured the team's most important role that's essential for winning consistently.

"That's a big deal," O'Brien said. "You have to have a quarterback, and we've got our quarterback, the type you need to win in this league. There's no doubt in my mind about that."

When it comes to their philosophies about stocking the roster, O'Brien and Gaine are on the same page.

"I don't think you want to build it through free agency," O'Brien said. "You want to build it through the draft so you can mold the guys. I don't think you want to bring in a bunch of free agents.

"These are decisions we're going to be talking about daily. That's all part of being an NFL head coach and an NFL general manager. Those are tough decisions that have to be made."

John McClain, a Waco native who graduated from Baylor in 1975, is in his 43rd year at the Houston Chronicle and his 40th covering the National Football League, including the Oilers and Texans. He worked for the Waco Tribune Herald from 1973-76, when he accepted a job with the Chronicle. to cover the original Houston Aeros of the World Hockey Association.

McClain has a plaque in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio as the 2006 winner of the Dick McCann Memorial Award presented annually by the Pro Football Writers of America to a writer for his long and distinguished coverage of the NFL. He is past president of the Pro Football Writers of America.

He's a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee, the Pro Football Hall of Fame Seniors Committee and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame Selection Committee.

In 2015, he was named as a Gridiron Legend in Texas, becoming the third member of the media behind Dave Campbell and Mickey Herskowitz.

McClain can be heard six times a week on the Texans' flagship station Sports Radio 610 in Houston. He also does weekly sports talk shows in Nashville, Knoxville, Waco, Austin and San Antonio.

McClain also has appeared in eight movies: The Rookie, The Longest Yard, Spring Breakers, Secretariat, Invincible, Cook County, The Game Plan and Make It Rain.